Madness
by WeAllHaveAnEscape
Summary: Éponine is dead. Marius knew that. Or at least he thought he did. But when a young street girl comes back into his life, in what path will fate decide to take them? Would like to think fic is better than summary but I'll let you all be the judges of that :) Trigger Warning: mental illness (just in case).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here ya go, chapter one! Really, really hope you like it! I have the basics of this story planned out, it won't be very long (10-12 chapters at most) but I hope you like it. Started just after the barricade, can't say who's gonna creep up since I actually have no idea. Obviously Marius, Éponine and Cosette are a given, but this won't follow the storyline (much).**

* * *

**Enjoy! I promise other chapters will be longer, I just wanted to get this written otherwise you guys would probably have to wait until Sunday or Monday (plus the plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone)**

* * *

Marius looked around the site of the barricade.

He was the only one left.

Tears were pricking his eyes as he limped along the site, resting heavily on a crutch he had for support. Enjolras, Joly, Grantaire, Feuilly, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, Bahorel, Jehan, Lesgle...all gone.

This wasn't how it should have ended. They were fighting for a cause, fighting for the people of France, fighting for a better life, not supposed to have their lives taken, not meant to be fated to such a gruesome death.

Neither had Éponine.

Oh, how he missed her. Cosette was gone, his friends were dead, and he had nobody to turn to anymore. It had always been her who cheered him up, with her sometimes childlike antics, constant teasing, the way she grinned every time she saw him.

He remembered their first encounter. Éponine couldn't have been more than about thirteen, but even then she was a malnourished street child with untameable hair and slightly ripped clothing. It was clear she hadn't eaten properly in weeks, and there were heavy bags under her eyes.

She'd attempted to pickpocket him and was close to being successful, she she hadn'I tripped on a stone and grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. He'd whipped around immediately, causing her to lose her balance, and she ended up falling on her backside onto the cobbled pavement of the market, still sheepishly clutching his wallet.

"Erm...sorry?"

Those had been her first words to him as she quickly attempted to replace the wallet. Springing lightly to her feet, she looked him in the eyes, clearly expecting to be punished.

The first thing Marius had noticed about her was her eyes. A deep chestnut, still with a glimmer that he recognised as hope. That glimmer never left her up until the minute she died, and now he knew why. She was hoping that he'd notice her affections and return them, as well as hoping for a better life.

But of course he hadn't noticed that at the time. He was fifteen back then, and a much kinder man than any other Éponine had come across. He'd smiled slightly, which had clearly confused her.

"Monsieur? You are not going to punish me?"

He'd looked down at this tiny scrap of a girl and shook his head. She'd stared at him with what could only be described as pure bewilderment, which is when he'd registered a large bruise across her forehead reaching down to the left side of her face. There was a small ring of purple in her arm, and a scratch down the side of her left wrist. It was clear she wasn't treated too well at home, which had immediately caused him some concern.

"You're just doing what you have to do. And call me Marius."

"I'm Éponine" she'd replied in a voice he'd almost had to strain to hear, clearly not trusting him.

"So, 'Ponine, perhaps I'll see you around?"

She'd stiffened initially but then nodded, before turning and scampering off down an alleyway.

That was the first time he'd met Éponine Thénardier, and it certainly wasn't the last.

But of all the memories, past and present, right up until the identical minute she'd left this Earth, he remembered her confession more than anything. The words rang clear in his head, they wouldn't go away. And in a way, he didn't want them too. It was like keeping a piece of her with him.

_"Now, for my pains, promise me-"_

_"What?" he'd asked._

_"Promise me!"_

_"I promise you."_

_"Promise to kiss me on the forehead when I'm dead. I'll feel it."_

For one moment he thought she'd died then and there, but her eyes fluttered open once more. That was when she spoke the sentence.

_"And then, do you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you."_

Bam. Right there. Those ten words.

_"I believe I was a little in love with you."_

Those words kept ringing through his head, almost taunting him for all the times he'd ignored her to be with Cosette, the times he'd sent her off with yet another letter for his 'beloved', the times he'd lain awake at night hearing her cries but being too scared to do anything, not just for her but for himself too.

And now she was gone.

And so was his "beloved".

Waves of guilt washed over him. Éponine had loved him, and he'd more or less forced her to watch and listen as he drummed on about Cosette and how beautiful she was and how lovely she was and how gorgeous she was and so many other adjectives that he'd essentially placed in the same sentence. But Éponine had never protested, never said a word. She always took his letters and brought back the replies, and she'd simply sit there and listen every time he opened his foolish mouth about her. How could he have been so blind? It must have been torture for the poor girl. But he hadn't known. All he'd cared about was his Cosette.

And now she had left him.

They both had.

Marius sighed deeply, kicking a stone as he walked along the forgotten remains of what had once been the helm of the ship, so to speak. Pieces of furniture that had broken beyond repair were kicked to the sides, bits of red scattering the pavement where the women hadn't been able to remove the stains.

He came to the place Gavroche had been shot, and his throat tightened. He'd lost two Thénardiers in a day, and yet their parents didn't even care. But Marius did.

He'd buried Gavroche the identical day he'd managed to get back to the sight, and would have done the same for Éponine.

Except her body was nowhere to be found.

He'd searched everywhere, but her corpse was not with the others. It had just vanished. A first Marius had suspected that somebody else had buried her, but who? Her parents didn't care Gavroche had died not long after her and hadn't left the barricade anyway, none of the revolutionaries had known her, the Patron-Minette hated her, Cosette wasn't around (and wasn't keen on her anyway), her sister was in a foreign country. He couldn't think of anybody else who knew who she was.

One thought dared to make itself heard in his mind, one that he didn't dare to think was true.

She was still alive.

No. She couldn't be. He'd seen the bullet hit her, he'd held her as she died, he'd watched her body being carried away without so much as a hint of life. He'd seen her die with his own eyes, it simply wasn't possible.

But as he thought this, a pair of sharp brown eyes were opening slowly in a hospital ward not twenty minutes from where he was standing.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: O.O Wow. The response I've had to this is AMAZING. 7 reviews, 6 favourites and 11 follows in one chapter? That's just...woah XD Hope you like chapter 2! Bit shorter again but hopefully the next one will be a bit longer :) Also, there is a small chance of a double update on this one today, so keep an eye out ;)**

* * *

Marius sighed, dragging himself out of bed for another day of the same routine; walk past the barricade site, through the market, before coming back home, studying, and then feeling guilty all night. He got dressed and was about to get himself some breakfast, when he heard a knock at his door.

"Yes?" he asked, opening the door to reveal a small girl, about twelve, standing there. She looked like Éponine, and a pang of both guilt and hurt hit him like a bullet train. He gulped, before returning his attention to the child.

"I've been asked to fetch you."

"Okay, let me get my shoes."

Marius walked back into his room, mystified. What did this girl want with him? It was clear the message was important, but he couldn't think of a single thing. Everybody he knew was dead, his job was secure, his grandfather didn't want anything to do with him, and all his bills had been paid. What could it be?

Walking back to the front door, now with shoes on, he followed the girl out of the flat, feeling another twinge of pain as he walked past the flat where Éponine had lived. It seemed like her memory was everywhere, both comforting and torturing him at the same time.

The further they got on the journey, the more the girl reminded him of Éponine. She was streetwise and knew her way around, flitting through alleys and keeping alert at all times, continuously checking to see if Marius was still following her.

"So, where exactly are you taking me?"

"You'll see" came the short reply.

"What's your name?"

The girl seemed to hesitate before answering, almost as if she wasn't sure. "Um, Adèle."

Marius frowned, but said nothing. "I'm Marius."

"I know."

"How do you?-"

"None of your business."

Yep. She reminded him of Éponine alright.

After about ten minutes of walking, Adèle and Marius came to a stop outside of a hospital. "Ask for Geneviève Lacriox, ward 7" she said before sprinting off into the shadows, leaving Marius confused and a bit lost.

Who on Earth was Geneviève Lacroix? Did he know her? Should he know her? And why did Adèle seemingly not know her own name? It was all a bit confusing. Did this person have a message for him? Was she a relative or friend of one of the barricade boys? A relative of his? Any number of possibilities crossed his mind, but none of them seemed believable.

Taking a deep breath, he walked into the hospital, which was a bit dingy, but considering the conditions of Saint-Michel, was one of the best there. Heading straight for the front desk, he tapped the bell (which to his surprise still worked), and waited.

Before too long, a short, cheery woman who was called either Laura or Lauren (her name tag was a bit smudged) came to his assistance. "Sorry for the wait, lookin' for someone?"

Marius nodded. "Geneviève Lacroix, ward 7" he said, trying to calm his nerves. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous; he didn't know this woman. Did he?

Before his thoughts had a chance to start wandering, the woman nodded. "This way please" she said cheerily, leading the way through various hospital wards until they reached a room with the number 7 engraved on the door. "Third bed on the left."

Marius nodded and thanked her, taking a deep breath, before opening the door and heading over to the third bed.

Under the sheets lay a tall but thin girl, with matted brown hair and slightly tanned skin.

He knew this girl.

Oh, boy, did he know her.

"Éponine..." Marius breathed, eyes wide, almost falling over in shock as he identified the figure lying on the bed.

Éponine turned over to look at him. "Marius? Is it you? Oh, mon Dieu, please let this be real, please don't be tricking me again" she whispered, voice cracking slightly.

"Éponine...but you're..."

"Dead?"

"Exactly!"

"Not quite. Do I look dead? Actually, don't answer that, I look worse than dead."

Marius chuckled slightly, the abnormality of the situation making him feel a bit hysterical. "What are you doing here?"

"Apart from recovering from being shot in the shoulder?"

"Yes. No. I mean, I don't know. How are you alive?"

"Sit comfortably, I think I've got a bit of explaining to do" Éponine said with a hint of a smile, taking one of his hands and beginning.

"So when they took my body away, I was still alive, just unconscious. I woke up a few hours later, and my sister found me - she helped me to a hospital, and here I am."

"Your sister is Adèle?"

"Is that what she calls herself? It's Azelma, me and her decided that fake names would be the best option in case our parents tried to hunt us down. Hence me being called Geneviève. It seemed safer than keeping our real names."

Marius nodded, squeezing her hand tighter. He couldn't get his head around the fact that she was alive. "So how long have you been here?"

"About three days. But apparently I'm not allowed out any time soon. Have I mentioned that hospital food is disgusting? Seriously, I'd rather go back to my stale bread" she said with a smile.

Marius gently pushed her over before joining her on the cotton sheets and encasing her in his arms. "I've missed you, you know. More than you can imagine" he murmured into her hair, drawing her impossibly tighter. Éponine sighed happily. It was nice to be in his arms without the pressure of dying for once.

"Éponine?"

"Mm?"

"How have you been?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I feel okay, but then I remember everything and I just...lose it. They think I'm mad, but I'm not mad, I'm not."

"Ssh, I know you're not" Marius said, closing his eyes and resting his chin on the top of her head, both of them drifting off into a much-needed sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Oooh, double update :D Didn't expect to finish this chapter today but hey, apparently I have. Please enjoy! Also, I hope I've handled this twist okay - it can be a sensitive topic for some people, so if at any point I start to sound either insensitive or I start exaggerating too much then please, please tell me. :)**

* * *

Marius was awakened sharply to the sound of crying, clearly coming from Éponine. Sitting up quickly, he saw her curled up on the floor with her hands over her ears, repeatedly muttering something under her breath.

He swung himself out of bed and gently touched her back, but she screamed loudly, desperately and pressed her hands even more firmly over her ears, squeezing her eyes tighter together. He could hear her now, she seemed to be saying "I'm not mad" over and over and over again.

Now he was scared. Something was wrong here, this wasn't normal for anybody. He climbed to his feet and ran to Reception, repeatedly hitting the bell to get attention. This as clearly an urgent matter, and wasn't going to go away just because he wanted it to.

Before long another nurse appeared, looking worried at his urgency. "Yes?"

"It's Ép-I mean, it's Geneviève Lacroix, ward seven, something's wrong with her, she's got her hands over her eyes, I mean her ears, she's got her hands over her ears and she keeps screaming, she seems really scared and she doesn't know me and I don't know what to do" he got out, all the words coming out in a rush.

The nurse nodded grimly, and called to somebody else before swiftly walking over to the ward. She hurried her way to Éponine, who was in the exact same position as she had been when Marius had left her, except she was pressed against the wall now.

"What's the matter with her?"

"Something's affected her brain, something traumatic, I don't know what, something's snapped."

"You mean she's...she's..." Marius couldn't finish the sentence, the colour drained from his face as he crouched beside her.

"Mad, detached. Not mad in the usual sense of shell-shock, as we first expected, but she's mentally unstable. We don't know exactly what's wrong, but it could be permanent."

Marius stopped dead, having to sit down. "Oh, Éponine" he muttered, forgetting to use her fake name in his worry.

"Éponine?"

"Geneviève, sorry. Éponine is a kind of nickname, she was her favourite character in a book, so she uses that as a nickname sometimes" Marius said hastily. The nurse didn't seem to believe his feeble excuse, but brushed it off anyway.

Despite his protests, Marius found himself pushed out of the room as curtains were drawn around Éponine's bed, clearly trying to get her to calm down. He started pacing anxiously up and down the corridor, hoping she was okay.

What could have triggered this? She was so strong, so tough. She never let her life get to her, she bore things uncomplainingly and always seemed able to greet him with a smile, even in the worst times,

And then the answer hit him.

Gavroche.

Her body was still there when they'd placed the young boys corpse next to her. Her dead brother would have been the first thing she'd seen. Surely that was enough to push anyone over the edge?

After about twenty minutes, a nurse came back out. "She wants you. We think she's calmed down, but you need to tell us the identical minute anything like this happens again. It's clear she's vulnerable, we've got to run some tests later today to see if there's anything we can do."

"But it's definitely something wrong with her mentally?"

"I'm afraid so."

Marius nodded, tight-lipped. "Thank you" he said, before practically sprinting back to Éponine.

She was curled up on the bed, no longer talking to herself, and her hands were relaxed at her sides. She smiled as she saw him, and he returned that smile.

"Are you okay now?"

She frowned. "I think so. They keep saying something about me being mentally unstable, but I'm not! I'm not mad!" she said, looking like she was about to get a bit worked up.

Marius nodded. "It's okay, I know you're not. You're just different."

"Different."

"Yes. And different is good."

She nodded, closing her eyes again. "Will you stay?" she asked, almost as if she were a child. Marius nodded, kissing her temple. "I'm going nowhere. You need to sleep now, so you can get better."

Éponine nodded, shifting slightly so that her head was on his chest and her legs weaving between his. Marius smiled and placed an arm carefully around her shoulders. She was okay, for now at least.

He watched her drift off to sleep, seemingly peaceful, and he began to think a bit more about what could be the root of her current mental state.

By that point, Marius was sure it was the body of Gavroche that had done it. Waking up to see your brothers corpse inches away from your face was surely one of the worst things a person could wake up to see. But had it all been building up? Could it have been from her family? The Patron-Minette?

Could it be his fault?

He knew she loved him. Well, he did now anyway. Could him being with Cosette have played a part in it?

Suddenly all the guilt he'd felt before came rushing back to him.

What if it was his fault? What if seeing the only positive thing in her life being so inflated with somebody else had damaged her so severely? It was true, after Cosette he hadn't seen her as often, but he'd blamed it on her father, not even considering the possibility of it being heartbreak. He knew the feeling; after Cosette left, after she'd supposedly died, after waking up to find his friends dead. Oh, heartbreak was a feeling that Marius was familiar with alright.

But could it be a feeling strong enough to send her into madness?

No, Marius told himself. She was not mad. She was just...confused. That's it. She was just confused, confused about what was real and what was not, plagued by thoughts and visions of what she'd seen.

Almost in cue she began to squirm, looking troubled instead of peaceful, tormented instead of calm. Instantly Marius began to wake her up, not wanting her to end up in a similar state to the one she had been in earlier.

"Marius?!"

"Ssh, Éponine, it's okay, it was just a nightmare, nothing can hurt you now."

"I-I saw Gavroche, I saw his body, he was next to me, I saw him-"

"He's in a better place now, you shouldn't worry, he's happy, and he wants you to be happy too, I know it."

Éponine nodded, silent tears rolling down her thin cheekbones. Marius hugged her tightly to him again, wanting to give her as much a sense of security as he could possibly manage.

A/N: I hope I'm handling Éponine's current state of mind okay. This idea was actually sparked by a confession I saw on .com; I can't find it right now but it was something about how Éponine could have been driven to insanity because of her unrequited love and other things in her life, so thank you to whoever submitted it!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know, I know, in Imagine I did promise to have this up yesterday, but...um...I kinda fell asleep writing this XD I woke up this morning to find my iPad battery had died, and Documents was my most recently used app, so yeah, sorry for delay! I'll try not to fall asleep again this time :P Just so you know I do have several mini-storylines planned, I'm using the earlier chapters to get things going :)**

* * *

**Also, thank you all for your reviews! Definitely open to constructive criticism at any point (thank you MariusxEponine3 for yours, I think I've somewhat managed to improve how I'm writing her, but if you have any suggestions on how to improve then please tell me!) so constructively criticise away! :D**

* * *

It had been about three weeks since the reunion, and Éponine still wasn't allowed out of hospital.

She'd still been having her 'attacks', as Marius called them, but day by day she seemed to be getting better. Well, better in the sense that he could see she was still Éponine - her usual attitude was returning, and she was growing more impatient by the day.

"Can we leave yet?"

"Not yet. Why not have a nap?"

"I'm sick of resting!"

"Okay, maybe a walk on the hospital grounds?"

"Oh yes, that'll be fun, let's go look at some dead grass and paving stones for the thousandth time this week."

Marius sighed. "You won't get any better being so stressed."

"I'm not stressed!"

"Yes you are! I'm trying to help you here, but you need to help yourself!"

"I didn't ask for you to help! I didn't ask for anybody to help! I don't want to be trapped in this place, I'd much rather be out in the streets any day of the week!"

"And if your father were to catch you?"

"I can handle him!"

"No, Éponine, you can't. You're not strong enough yet."

Éponine sighed, flopping back onto her pillow. The weeks of being stuck in the same place and being prodded around for injuries twice a day was taking its toll. In short, she was in an eternal grump, and there wasn't a lot Marius could do to help her.

"I'm trying to help you. Getting in a mood with me won't help."

Éponine let out another sigh. "I know. I just hate being stuck here. Sorry" she muttered, still looking at the floor.

"Tell you what, I'll see if I can find Azelma, and we can ask at the front desk when you'll be able to go out."

"Fine."

"I'll see you a bit later then" Marius replied, leaning down and kissing her forehead softly, before getting up and starting his search for Azelma.

The market was always a good place to start, so that's where he went, having a bit of a browse as he did. He picked up a few things, namely a new notebook for himself, a small rag doll for Azelma, and a copy of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' for Éponine - well, technically he'd be the one reading it to her, but he had a feeling she'd appreciate the gesture anyway.

Before too long he saw a mass of knotted hair that could only belong to Azelma. "Azel-Adèle!" he called, almost forgetting to use her fake name. A pair of eyes looked at him. "What?"

"I know your sister well. You know what's wrong with her, right?"

Azelma nodded. "So?"

"I thought you might like to see her."

The girl looked at him and nodded, slowly. "I got you something, too" Marius said, earning him a bewildered glance.

"You did?"

Marius nodded, handing her the small rag doll. She stared at it in her hand for a bit before unexpectedly wrapping her arms around his waist. "Merci, Monsieur" she said gratefully, before releasing him and falling into a light step beside him.

"Not a problem."

They fell into a comfortable step. It was impossible not to immediately want to protect her - she looked so frail, yet so tough, and so similar to Éponine.

"So, Adèle. How long has Éponine been like she is?"

Azelma stopped for a minute. "About a month now. You saw her three weeks ago. I happened about a week before you found her, I saw her huddled in a corner muttering something to herself, every time I went near her she screamed. I didn't know what to do, so I ran to the hospital. It's quite good for this area, they seem to be okay, she didn't want to go though."

Marius nodded. "I can't imagine she'd want to have gone there willingly. But you did the right thing."

"I know."

Another comfortable silence settled between the two of them as they approached the hospital again. They headed for the desk, where Laura/Lauren/Laurel (her name tag was still very smudged) greeted them. "Geneviève again, I presume?" she asked, looking a bit worried.

"Yep."

"You might have to wait a few minutes, she's had another funny turn. She's alright now, but they suggested a few minutes to herself."

Both Marius and Azelma stared at her for a few moments, before Marius grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction of the corridor, ignoring Laura/Lauren/Laurel calling after them. They soon found Ward Seven, and sure enough there was white curtains hanging around her bed. Azelma stopped, and looked up at Marius, who simply raised an eyebrow and walked on.

" 'Zelma? That you?"

Azelma hopped up onto the bed next to a very irritated looking Éponine. "I wish they didn't treat me like irreplaceable glass, I've survived the slums, I can get through this too!" she said grumpily, clearly irritated. "I just want to get up and move, is that so much to ask?"

Marius sighed. "They just want to be sure. Anyway, I brought you something."

"Mmm?"

"You told me you quite liked the book by Jane Austen, so I thought you'd like me to read you another classic."

Éponine smiled, and took the book. Perhaps having Marius sat next to her every evening would make the stay a bit more pleasant?

"Frank-en-stein, by Mary Shel-ley" Éponine said, squinting at the front of the book. "I've heard of this, it's the one with the monster, isn't it?"

Marius nodded. Azelma peered at the cover. "Sounds boring" she commented simply. "Mind if I come back later? Got things to do."

Éponine nodded giving her sister another hug before waving her goodbye. "See you later" she called.

"What I wouldn't give to just walk out like that" she sighed, before turning back to Marius. "Is there no way at all you can sneak me out?"

Marius chuckled. " 'Fraid not, even if I did then your father and his gang are still around town."

Éponine rolled her eyes. "I forgot about them" she said with a sigh. "Does the woman know when I'll be out?"

Marius shook his head. "I forgot to ask, one minute" he said, about to get up, when he felt pressure on the back of his waistcoat pulling him back to his chair. "Not that fast. I still want to hear this" Éponine smiled, handing him the book. "If I'm destined for solitary confinement then the least you can do is keep me entertained" she grinned, sitting up and shuffling backwards.

Now it was Marius' turn to roll his eyes, getting up from his chair and sitting next to her on the bed. "You won't be here much longer."

"Good. Have I mentioned how awkward it is sharing a room? People keep staring at me like I'm going to explode. It's annoying me."

"Ignore them."

"Oh don't worry, I do."

"That's my girl."

Éponine smiled. "Your girl, eh?"

Marius reddened. "Oh, shut up."

"I would say the same but I'm still awaiting chapter one."

Marius chuckled and opened the book, turning to chapter one and beginning to read.

"Chapter one..."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello again you gorgeous people. I'm in a writing mood today so I thought I'd update this one as well as Imagine. Might get a double for Imagine (more shameless self promotion), so keep an eye out!**

* * *

"I'M FREE!"

Marius had to laugh as Éponine shouted the words, doing a strange half skip thing and almost crashing into a brick wall. He'd caught her just in time, picking her up and spinning her around.

"I didn't expect you to last that long. I'm impressed."

"I didn't expect to last that longer either. But who cares? I'm back!" Éponine grinned, swinging around the lamppost. Her shoulder was completely fine thanks to the time in hospital, and she was taking full advantage of that fact.

Marius couldn't help but still feel worried - after all, she'd just spent two months in hospital, and her mental state was still described as 'very fragile' - who knew what could set her off?

Éponine seemed to sense his fear, and came bounding back over. She slipped her arm through his, and Marius was surprised at just how calming it felt, knowing she was next to him and that she was okay.

He leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek, not thinking. Éponine blushed furiously, and attempted to hide behind her hair. Marius just smiled and kept walking, when he stopped suddenly.

"Marius?"

Marius looked at her. They were standing three feet away from the site of the barricade. He gulped. "The barricade" he whispered.

Éponine fell silent, not sure what to say or do. Memories began flooding back, memories of the enemy, memories of gunshots and blood, memories of the soldier who shot her...

Memories of Gavroche.

She gave a half-gasping sound, her legs buckling beneath her as she sank to the floor against the wall, beginning to mutter to herself. Marius cursed himself furiously. He should have realised this place was a potential trigger. Dropping to his knees in front of her, he parted her hair out of her face.

"Éponine, you're okay, it's me, it's Marius, nothing bad can happen to you. You're safe."

Éponine stared at him, clearly in another world. She was muttering something that sounded like Gavroche under her breath, eyes seemingly staring right through him. But one of her hands reached out and gripped his arm, tightly.

"Come on, it's alright. You're okay now."

Marius pulled her against his chest, doing whatever he could to avoid a full-on panic attack. It killed him to see her so out of character, every time she 'zoned out' as he'd taken to calling it, any traces of her personality vanished.

Racking his brains, he tried to think of what the nurse had told him. Something about getting her somewhere she knew? It was clear she was beyond walking, so he scooped her up, ignoring her struggles, and headed immediately for the market. It was where she spent about eighty percent of her time, so surely that would be the best option.

Ignoring stares from passers-by, he set her down by an empty cart. "Look up, Éponine" he said, placing a finger under her chin to lift her head. She stared around for a bit, before she stopped muttering and blinked, seeming to come back to reality.

"What the bloody hell just happened?"

Marius wondered how to explain it to her. "The nurse said you aren't well mentally. You zone out when things remind you of events."

"That's ridiculous."

"It's a little odd, I grant you."

"Am I-am I mad?"

"No, you're not mad. You're just different."

"You said that before. Stop lying to me, Marius. It won't help anything" Éponine frowned, folding her arms across her chest, clearly expecting an answer.

Marius sighed. "The nurse said you might be mentally unstable for some time."

"So I'm mad."

"You're not mad!"

"Well what am I then? And if you say different again I promise you I will take every single book in your apartment and throw them into the Seine myself."

"Well go ahead, because I refuse to believe you're mad."

Éponine sighed, Marius was being as stubborn as her, and it was beginning to irritate her. "Fine. But I'm not having you standing over me all the time."

"I won't."

"No taking my elbow every time we cross a road as if I were ninety."

"Agreed."

"Good. Now, where were we?" Éponine said, smiling. She couldn't stay irritated at him forever, no matter how annoying he was being. After all, he was trying to take care of her, and that was something he probably wouldn't do when she was fully recovered. May as well make the most of it.

Marius offered her his arm, which she gladly took. "I believe we were celebrating your release. How does dinner sound?"

Éponine looked up at him. "I-can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't let you pay for me, especially not for food."

"For once, just for the heck of it, let me take care of you instead of watching you take care of yourself. Please, Éponine, I want to."

Éponine sighed again. "Fine, just this once though."

"If you insist" Marius smiled, escorting her through the streets to a small restaurant - nothing fancy, but a nice place all the time.

They were given a table, and Marius headed up to order.

He stopped in his tracks upon reaching the bar. Eyes widened, he blinked, staring straight ahead at one of the men.

"Grantaire..."


	6. My brain is going to die

So hello there.

Yet again this is not a chapter (if this keeps going I'm going to end up with as many authors notes as chapters)

Okay, so, um, basically don't expect more than like five updates for both this and Imagine for the next week or so. This time I actually have a valid excuse though XD

Basically I was really ill earlier this year and had four and a half months off school (it's not as fun as it sounds) so of course I missed a crapton of stuff.

I just discovered there are exams coming up so essentially I might have to cram a term and a half of revision into one week. In three subjects. I have no idea yet but that's what seems to be happening, it seemed like a good idea to assume the worst and let you all know now instead of later.

So I'm kinda stressed out a bit and won't have much free time for writing - I'm so sorry to let you all down again but it's not possible for me to do both unfortunately, and as much as I love you lot and want to hug you and give you cookies, I'm gonna have to put you guys second. Sorry!

Hope you're all okay with this, feel free to throw a brick through my window, it'll provide me with some entertainment (and the loss of thirty quid cash but you can't have everything)

Lots and lots of Sprouty hugs (nickname, don't ask)

Kat x

(I don't know who invented trigonometry but I hope they died alone in a well. And who understands quadratic equations anyway? Ugh, my brain is dying!)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: ...hello...if you haven't ditched this fic in the month and a half it's been left...wouldn't blame you if you had...**

**Writers block took over, then I got pre-occupied with a couple of other fics, then came back to this and realised I was fresh out of ideas. Also I'm on holiday at the moment and the wifi is bloody awful. As in takes-three-minutes-to-load-a-single-page awful. It's taken me twelve attempts just to upload the doc for this chapter. GAH. Tried to make this as long as possible to hopefully make up for the huge delay!**

* * *

Éponine started fiddling with the tablecloth, wondering why Marius was taking so long. He was an efficient person by nature, so why it had taken him ten minutes to get some drinks was a mystery to her. Perhaps there was a queue, or a high demand? She wasn't sure.

Giving up with the tablecloth, she leaned back in her chair with a sigh, making patterns in the texture of the ceiling whilst she waited. It reminded her of cupcakes, the same pattern over and over again. From another angle, they looked like hats and fans. Hmm.

Meanwhile, Marius was just casually talking with his supposedly dead friend. Hmm indeed.

Grantaire, it seemed, had actually been saved by his drunken antics. In a stupor, he'd fallen in to a wardrobe on the barricade, been shut in, and somebody had found him before it was all burned. How he'd survived he did not know, he'd been in there a day and a night, if not longer. The woman who found him had almost had a heart attack, thinking he was dead before realising he was simply unconscious.

Unlike Éponine, he'd had no need of a hospital, as apart from a nasty scratch gained early on in the fight, he had no real injuries. That came as a surprise, as he'd fought hard those first couple of days. It was on the third and final day of the battle he'd returned to his alcohol, and ended up safe, though feeling exceptionally guilty, becoming even more withdrawn than he had before.

Marius had found him working at the bar, having decided to be useful. He had been an unmotivated and slightly cynical person before, at least where the beliefs of the Amis were concerned, but he seemed to have had the life drained out of him. Marius strongly suspected it was because of Enjolras' death, it wasn't exactly hidden that he'd rather liked him.

Although, Marius was still completely blind to Éponine's clear adoration of him, so he couldn't judge.

"So" Marius said to his friend, after they'd spoken for a while. "What've you been doing?"

"Serving at a bar, clearly."

He sighed. "I meant before that, where are you living?"

"'Ad to move back in with my mum. She weren't too pleased, and neither am I, but she's glad to see me alive."

"I would hope so too."

"So, any other survivors?"

"None that I know of, apart from Éponine. Oh, that reminds me, she's here too. I'll go and get her."

Grantaire nodded, taking another swig of beer as Marius disappeared back to the table.

"Éponine!" he called, grabbing the girls attention. "Oh, I was wondering where you'd be-what is it?"

His eyes were shining, and he was slightly out of breath. Fitness was not one of Marius' strong points. "Grantaire."

"What about him?" Éponine asked, doing her best to block all thoughts of the barricade at the mention of that one name. "What is it?"

"He's here. He's alive."

"You sure?"

"Well, I've just had a conversation with him, so I'm pretty sure he's alive."

She stood up, gripping Marius' arm. "Well, don't hang about, take me to him!"

He nodded, grinning like a schoolboy. He took hold of her hand, failing to notice the way the young girl's eyes widened, and led her back through to the bar, where Grantaire was still sitting.

"You just don't go away, do you?" Grantaire joked. It was true, the two of them had shared many a drink over their unrequited love lives, and had become rather good friends in their shared sorrow, each time she'd been at the Musain with Marius, they'd always exchange a few words, a greeting if nothing else.

"Good to see you too, R" Éponine replied. The two smiled at each other, Éponine perching on a stool next to Marius. "Working now, are we? Didn't picture you anywhere where there was no drinking on the job."

He shrugged. "Get a discount on beer here. Plus, manager don't show up 'til six in the evening, so I can turn up with a hangover and he ain't none the wiser."

She nodded. "Not bad. How've you been?"

"Alright, mostly. Yourself?"

"Two months in hospital and apparently mad, but okay."

Marius cut in. "Not mad. Just a little...confused, sometimes."

Éponine turned to Grantaire, having rolled her eyes at Marius. "He refuses to believe it, but it's true. I don't know what's wrong exactly, something to do with flashbacks and zoning out I think."

Grantaire nodded. "Had an aunt like that. Can't remember what set 'er off, though. Just remember the flashback bit."

The three fell in to silence, Éponine stealing a sip of Marius' lemonade. She knew she was pushing her luck where he was concerned, but who cared? He didn't seem to mind and Cosette was out of the country. Her father hadn't turned up, and Montparnasse hadn't been seen.

Montparnasse. That man still haunted her nightmares. It was true, they'd once been in a (rather strained) relationship, but he hadn't wanted her love. He'd wanted her body and nothing else. Even Marius didn't know what he did, and she wasn't planning to tell him. Hopefully he was behind bars, though she knew that was rather wishful thinking.

Shaking her head, as if to rid it of the dark thoughts, she turned her attention back to the men. Grantaire downed the rest of his beer and stood up. "Well, I gotta get back to work. Drop in every now and then."

Marius nodded, shaking his hand. Éponine did the same before they headed back to their original table, to find two menus had been placed.

"Can you read it?"

Éponine looked insulted. "Of course I can read. I read some of your papers, easy" she said a little sharply.

"Sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I know not many of us in the slums can read and write, so I guess you shouldn't expect me to either. I can do both, not that well, but I can."

He nodded. "So, what would you like?"

"Give me a minute, Monsieur" she said with a smile, which he returned. She couldn't deny her heart sped up a little as he did, looking down at her menu to hide the inevitable blush.

"Might I have the chicken? With potato and cheese?"

"Of course you can. I think I'll go for salmon myself. Sure?"

"Sure."

They summoned a waiter, and, having placed their orders, began talking again. "So, 'Ponine. Do you have anywhere to go?"

She shook her head. "Not going back to my father, that's for sure. Don't worry about me, Monsieur, I can find a tree or a hayloft."

"Don't be daft, you can stay with me."

She looked at him, confusion evident on her gaunt features. "Why would you want me in your flat?"

"Because you're my best friend, and I don't want you having to live on the streets. Please?"

"If you're sure, I guess."

"I am. And please call me Marius."

She grinned at him. It didn't take long for their food to arrive, and her eyes widened at the size of the meal. "It's huge!" she said, looking at her plate. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but it really is huge."

"If you can't eat it all then it's fine. You don't have to."

She nodded, looking at his hands for help figuring out how to properly use her cutlery. Noting he was holding the fork in his left hand, she did the same, being sure to place a napkin on her lap first, as he did. She soon dug in to her meal, and felt as if she were in heaven. Here she was, Éponine Thénardier, thief and street rat, sharing dinner with Marius Pontmercy in a fairly high class establishment, and going to stay at his flat that evening. The food was the best she'd ever tasted, and she was having to fight not to just inhale her plate there and then.

Marius was watching her with an expression of fondness, beginning to eat his own meal. He was glad she enjoyed the food, having tasted some of the hospital food himself and realising she wasn't lying when she said it was disgusting.

About an hour later, she was stuffed, having never felt so full in years. Marius asked for the bill, which he paid, and then suggested a walk by the Seine in order to let their food digest properly. Éponine immediately obliged, eager to see more of the sights she'd so nearly forgotten. Bidding a goodbye to Grantaire, and promising to visit him again, they set off.

It was cold out, and the rushing, icy waters below did not help. Nevertheless the walk was pleasant, the two of them conversing about the days events. Éponine began shivering at one point, having changed back in to her street clothes, and to her surprise, Marius took his jacket off and placed it gently around her thin shoulders.

_It smells like you_, she thought, wrapping it around herself gratefully. She'd always liked Marius' smell. He was clean, and, well, homely, in a sense. In the few times she'd visited his flat, it had felt a lot more like home than her actual home. She always felt peaceful there, happy there, and above all, safe. Safe from her father, safe from his gang, safe from harm, a feeling that didn't come to her often.

They stayed by the river for at least an hour, and it was beginning to get dark, the moon having risen and reflecting off the water. Marius suggested they head to his rooms, to which she also agreed, starting to shiver again despite his coat.

They took extra caution when passing the Thénardier rooms. Even if Monsieur Thénardier wasn't there, it wasn't worth the risk, and they silently slipped through the door to Marius' flat.

She looked around in awe. His bed stood in the corner, by the window, and a desk opposite. The desk was littered with various books and papers, all strewn about and overlapping. A pen lay on the windowsill, and an area he'd sectioned off with a screen served as his kitchen and a large cupboard he'd turned in to bathroom, giving the impression of three rooms rather than two and making the flat seem bigger. He could decorate, that was for sure.

"I think we should sleep now. It's almost eleven."

Éponine nodded, wondering where the time had gone. Marius changed in to his night things whilst she averted her eyes, and when she opened them again, he was holding out an oversized undershirt.

"Here. A makeshift nightdress" he said with a smile. She returned it happily, gesturing for him to turn around as she put it on. Falling to her knees, it showed more leg than Society would have accepted, but she didn't give a damn about Society and their silly expectations so supposed it didn't matter. Marius took her clothes from her gently, folding them and placing them on top of his. She couldn't help loving the attention he paid to her rags, the fact that even when they were so tattered and torn, he still felt the need to fold them properly to avoid creases.

Slipping in to the bed next to him, she turned to face him. "Thank you. For today. For the hospital. For helping me with my little...turn, earlier. For everything, really."

He leaned forwards and kissed her forehead gently. "Any time, 'Ponine. You'll get better, I promise" he said shuffling closer to her and draping an arm around her waist. "Goodnight, Marius" she said quietly, deciding to take a risk and burying her head in his chest, going so far as to let one of her scrawny calves slip between his. He didn't seem to mind, bringing his other arm to rest softly between her shoulder blades, whispering a goodnight as the two fell in to a peaceful and undisturbed slumber.


	8. Chapter 8 (TW: mentions of rape)

**A/N: I did not expect to finish this so quickly, but apparently I did. :D. Sorry if it's a bit crap but I only woke up about ten minutes ago as I type this and my brain hasn't started working properly yet, so yeah. Oh, and it's dark. Very dark. Gets lighter and a little fluffy towards the end though. And more of a 'filler' chapter than anything really happening. Sorry.**

* * *

**Trigger warning: mentions of rape (if you don't want to read this chapter because of that but want to know the outline of what happens, drop me a PM, I'll let you know what happens and send you the bits that don't include that :))**

* * *

The first thing Marius heard was screaming.

The second thing he heard was a shout.

And the third thing he heard was crying.

Éponine was in the middle of a very nasty nightmare.

He turned to see her still asleep, and went to wake her up when she let out a cry of "get your filthy hands away from me!". "Stop it, you bastard!" came the next cry, and he could recognised desperation in her voice. Shocked, he gently placed two hands on her shoulders and shook her awake, knowing it would be cruel to just leave her.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled as she woke up, before her eyes opened and she realised who was next to her. Almost immediately she turned her head away. Marius had seen her cry enough, and she didn't want to seem weak in front of him. Despite her efforts to stop and hide it, she was shaking violently, sobbing silently in to her hands, which concealed her face.

"I-I'm sorry you had to s-see that" she stuttered, as Marius gently climbed past her, kneeling in front of her trembling frame and taking her bony hands in his. "You sounded so distressed, I couldn't leave you. 'Ponine, what happened?"

He could only be glad she hadn't had a panic attack upon waking, the nightmare had sounded bad enough. "If you tell me, I might be able to help."

She sniffed, giving a cold half-smile. "You can't help, Monsieur. It's in the past now" she said, retracting one of her hands to wipe across her eyes. "You shouldn't have to trouble yourself with the likes of me. It's enough you're letting me stay here. I don't want to bother you further."

He looked up at her, leaning up with his free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "You aren't a bother, you couldn't ever be a bother. Please just tell me."

She sighed. Marius was as stubborn as her when he wanted to be. And the more she stayed silent, the more persistent he'd become, which she knew as she was exactly the same.

"Well, when I was fifteen, about six months before we met, I was in a relationship with a man named Montparnasse. I thought we were happy, he seemed to care. But he didn't. It was a lie. He didn't want my affections. He wanted my body."

She paused as Marius squeezed her hand again tightly, having a dreading feeling he knew exactly where things were going.

"You see, despite my upbringing, I always believed in waiting until marriage to be properly intimate. Obviously I wasn't going to marry him then and there, we'd only been together a few months, and I was just fifteen, him eighteen. He didn't give any indication he wanted to wait. He was constantly asking me when we could, even though I'd made my personal morals very clear."

Now he knew precisely where this was going, stroking across her knuckles with his thumb. "You don't have to..." he trailed off.

"But I want to. Perhaps it will help. Anyway, he'd been on at me for a while, but I had no intentions of giving in. He'd joined my fathers gang then, and like them, had started to beat me, the odd slap, kick, little things. I'd grown up around that from when I was eleven, it didn't bother me. He seemed to think he could get what he wanted by beating me, though he was wrong. Until one night, where he cornered me in an alley."

Marius winced. He gently took Éponine's other hand, clasping it tightly.

"He demanded we...you know. I refused again, saying I wasn't going to throw aside my morals for a silly boy. He didn't like that. He slapped me, hard, punching my ribs, demanding again. When I refused, he pinned me down, and...he...he...he forced himself on me. I screamed, but nobody came. When he'd finished, he kicked me in the side, knocking the breath out of me. 'Wasn't so bad, was it, Eppy?' he said, chortling. He left me there, with the loss of my dignity and purity. I-that's what I have bad dreams about."

The last part was rushed, and her tears had become thicker and faster. "I'm sorry, 'Ponine, I shouldn't have asked" Marius immediately said. He had his arms outstretched, looking to her for permission. She nodded, and he pulled her in to a fierce but gentle hug, clutching her small, trembling frame to him closely. He felt her shake her head. "Perhaps it will be better now I've talked about it. Even Azelma doesn't know. Neither does my mother, though she was a lot gentler that night, so I wonder if she had her suspicions."

He nodded, clasping her tighter. "Did he ever, you know, do it again?"

To his horror, she gave a small nod. "A couple of times."

He pressed a kiss to her hair. "I need you to know right now I will never, never hurt you in any way, 'Ponine. I'm surprised you still have faith in men after that."

"Aside from you and Grantaire, I don't. Not until I know them properly."

"Then I will promise you here and now, I will never make you do something you don't want to, nor will I abuse you in any sense of the word. I mean it, Éponine. Nobody deserves to have this happen to them. Nobody."

He gently released her from the hug, looking deep in to her eyes. She seemed to blush, almost, despite what she'd just relived. His eyes held nothing but pain from what he'd just heard. How dare somebody do that to his 'Ponine?

Wait..._his_ 'Ponine? No, she wasn't his, she didn't _belong_ to anybody. But he couldn't help feeling mass amounts of protectiveness over her, a will to shield her from any more harm that had come from the hell her life had become.

"Would you like to sleep again? Or you could take a bath, perhaps?"

She considered her options. "I-I wonder if I might have a bath?"

"Of course. I could help you wash your hair, if you wanted - I mean, if you don't want me to I understand, but I wouldn't be seeing anything you don't want me to see."

She nodded. "That would be nice."

He set about heating the water whilst she remained perched on his bed. Her mind kept drifting back to the incident, but she did her best to block it. Walking over to his desk, she sat down and looked at the papers there. Picking one up, she began to read his neat handwriting in an attempt to divert her mind.

Considering the paper was in English, she had a bit of a chore figuring it out.

Marius, unknown to Éponine, was watching her, replaying what he'd just heard. In that moment, if he had Montparnasse in one hand and a gun in the other, he would have killed the man there and then, purely for what he'd done to Éponine. He had no rights whatsoever to treat her or anybody else like that, much less take advantage of her. His blood was boiling hotter than the water beside him, and it took a few minutes for him to calm himself, not wanting to scare his guest.

"It's ready" he called softly, as she turned around with a smile. He'd filled the tub, handing her a towel as she went past. "Let me know when you're ready for me to do your hair" he said softly, kissing her cheek and disappearing to his desk.

Her hand flitted up to touch the skin he'd kissed, blushing slightly. If anything, she thought he'd have been repulsed when he learned of her stolen purity. On the contrary, he seemed to be more affectionate, as if trying to make up for what had happened to her. Of course it wouldn't really work, it wasn't something that could be made up for. But it was sweet of him to try, and she wasn't complaining.

Hesitantly stepping in to the tub, she used the flannel to wipe away years worth of grime and dirt. She hadn't let the hospital clean her body, just her hands, feet and face. She hadn't trusted them, not like she trusted Marius. Though the fact she was in love with him probably played a contributing part.

After having scrubbed herself clean as best she could, she called through. Marius appeared, making sure he saw nothing she didn't want him to, and sat on a stool by the back of the tub, picking up a jug of water and gently tipping it over her hair.

Lathering it up with shampoo, he gently began to rub his fingers in the strands, checking it was all coated in the foam. She moaned slightly at the feeling, causing him to chuckle. Still kneading her hair gently, he picked up the jug and began to wash the lather out, being careful not to leave any in to avoid itching and/or irritation.

Once he was done, he took hold of a thick comb and gently began to untangle the strands. It took a long time, but neither complained, Marius knowing how nice it would be for her, and Éponine relishing the feeling of being treated with such care. Never (to her memory) had somebody been so gentle with her, so caring. And in that moment, she could not have loved him more.

When at long last her hair was finished, he kissed her temple and left, giving her privacy to dry herself off. Whilst she was doing so, he headed upstairs to where he knew a girl lived, a little older than Éponine.

"Abrielle!" he called through the letterbox, and she soon answered. "Oh, hello Marius. What is it?"

"I know I'm being terribly cheeky asking this, but would you happen to have any old dresses, one of which I could have? My friend needs one, and you're the only other girl I really know."

"Oh, the Thénardier girl? Of course, one moment."

She disappeared, coming back about five minutes later with a folded red parcel. "This should fit" she said. Marius thanked her and disappeared.

"Éponine, may I come in?'"

"Yes."

She had the towel wrapped around herself, and eyed up what Marius was holding. "Here. For you."

Her eyes widened as she realised what he'd been offering. "I can't accept this!"

"Yes, you can. The girl upstairs was going to throw it out, she said I could have it for you."

Éponine reached out a hand to touch the fabric. "I-I can't."

"Please, 'Ponine. You deserve it."

If it had been anybody else she would have point-blank refused. But she couldn't bring herself to do so, not when he was being so kind. Gently taking it, she motioned for him to turn around as she slipped it on.

"Mon Dieu, it's beautiful."

Marius turned around, grinning. The dress suited her perfectly, and fit well too. "Like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "You must be the only person who can turn such a dark day in to a good one."

He chuckled, returning her embrace. "I try" he said.

He went to kiss her cheek, when she turned her head, and their lips met for the briefest of seconds. Both went rather red, springing back. "I'm sorry, I-"

"No, I'm sorry, I-"

They paused. "Oh, sod it" Marius said, stepping forwards and pressing his lips firmly to hers, hands on her waist as she stood there in shock, only one thought forming.

_Marius Pontmercy is kissing me._

* * *

**A/N: And so it begins...:)**


End file.
